The present disclosure relates to an electric water heater, and more specifically to an external reset device for resetting a control for the electric water heater.
Generally speaking, electric water heaters include a control device that has override control over the current powering the water heater's heating elements. When electric water heaters are manufactured and shipped from the factory to consumers for initial installation, the control device is configured such that the electric circuit containing the heating elements is OPEN. As such, one step in the installation of electric water heaters is to reset the control device to CLOSE the circuit and enable the heating elements to be powered ON.
Before the heating elements are first powered ON for the first time, however, it is necessary to fill the water heater tank with an initial charge of water. This is so because without the heat sink that is provided by water surrounding the water heater's heating elements, the heating elements will burn out and become unusable very quickly (e.g., in about 3 to 4 seconds). Unfortunately, it is all too common an occurrence during electric water heater installations that the water heater tank is not first filled with the initial charge of water prior to resetting the control device and powering ON the heating elements. This condition, known as “dry start,” consequently, results in damage to the water heater and its heating elements. Water heater manufacturers, then, are subjected to undesirable customer complaints and warranty claims.
Therefore, it is desirable to design an apparatus for an electric water heater which discourages and/or prevents the occurrence of dry start by impeding the operation of the heating elements until the operator acknowledges that the water heater tank receives an initial charge of water.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.